Spring's Shadow
by IceWarrior13
Summary: After the Battle of Beacon, Cardin Winchester is given an important task. He agrees, only to discover that what he signed up for is NOT what he had in mind. Can Cardin change, and can he be forgiven for all of his mistakes?
1. Prologue

A boy in gold/silver armor over black clothes with a red sash stood in a small room. He looked tired, beaten, a little nervous, and his fingers were firmly fastened around the handle of a large mace. His red hair was in decent condition despite the rest of him, and his blue eyes darted from the desk to the door.

Then, the door opened.

"Professor Ozpin?!" The boy asked, surprised. "But, everyone thinks that you were k-"

"Rumors of my death were..." The man sat down and gestured to the chair on the opposite side of the desk. " _Greatly_ exaggerated." The boy sat down. "Cardin Winchester: one of the most efficient (if _brash_ and _arrogant_ ) fighters in the first-year. Known for his violent temper and cruelty towards Faunus."

"Hey-!"

"I have a task for you, and only you. The world is changing, and the fate of Remnant could depend on this task... Can you do it?"

"Um... That depends. What about my team?"

"They cannot know. It is for their safety, and yours."

"What is this job, Professor?"

"Mr. Winchester... Have you ever heard the _Story of the Four Maidens_?"

"The _Tale of the Seasons_? Yeah, who hasn't? ... What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well... What if I were to tell you it was true?"

"Wait, what?!" The boy was ignored. Ozpin looked down.

"This task is dangerous, but I believe you can do it. It may even be beneficial... We need you to protect someone as she travels around Remnant, and keep her safe from harm to the best of your abilities. She may be our world's last hope in this rising darkness."

"How long would I be gone?" There was no answer, but then...

"Until the end." Ozpin declared. Cardin's eyes widened.

"Sir, what does this mean? The _Tale of the Four Maidens_ being true, this mission? I don't get it!"

"Well, Cardin Winchester, to put it in simple terms... You have been chosen to guard the Spring Maiden."

 ** _/\/\/\/\_**

Cardin was lead down a dark hallway by Ozpin.

"For the last five years, the position of Spring Maiden has been held by a young girl." Ozpin was saying. "Her mother was the Spring Maiden."

"So, when one of these Maidens die, the girl in their final thoughts gets the powers?"

"Indeed. And for the past few years, Maidens have been targeted. So, we've assigned _Shadows_ to follow and protect them. Sadly, it was too late for _Amber_... As we've been previously unable to find a Shadow for the Spring Maiden, so she's been attending Beacon."

"She has?"

"Yes. You may even recognize her... It's a pity that one so young was given this tremendous responsibility."

"How young are we talking?"

"Seventeen. She's your age (though in second-year), and a very capable Huntress."

"So, why does she need me?"

"So was Amber." The two arrived at the end of the hallway, and Ozpin opened the door to reveal an underground training facility. Cardin's eyes widened in shock at the scene.

"What?"

"I'll miss you." A young girl hugged abother girl dressed in brown with sunglasses and a black beret, then a blind and scarred boy in red, finally hugging a boy in green. "Try to take care of yourselves."

"No promises, _Bun-Bun_." The girl in sunglasses smiled sadly. "Be safe." The first girl nodded, then turned around.

Bar the green cloak, she was wearing the same outfit Cardin last saw her in: her armor. At her side was that little box, as always. Her brown eyes widened in fear as they fell on him.

"You?"

" _You_?!"

"Velvet Scarletina." Ozpin wore a small, and slightly dark, smirk. He'd been planning this all along, hadn't he? "Meet your Shadow, Cardin Winchester."

 ** _DUH-DUH-DUUUUUHHHHH! Sorry, someone had to write this story eventually. I just decided that it would have to be me. I own nothing! Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks!_**


	2. Day One (Cardin)

A Faunus.

Out of everything, she had to be a Faunus.

And **THAT** Faunus!

As Ozpin led us out of that place (away from Velvet's team), my disappointment and disgust only continued to grow.

The headmaster led us to the surface, revealing a paddock holding two horses with saddlebags full of supplies.

"I call the brown one!" Velvet held her hand up. I looked over at the headmaster, frowning. Maybe I could still get out of this.

"I don't know how to-"

"That's why Ms. Scarletina will have to teach you... I'm afraid that I've already stayed too long."

"What?! Where are you going?!"

"Hopefully, to reduce your task from _bodyguard_ to _traveling companion_... Good luck, Mr. Winchester."

With that, Ozpin departed.

 ** _/\/\/\/\_**

Velvet giggled as I repeatedly tried and failed to get on the horse, the fear in her eyes replaced by amusement. I glared, and she stopped.

"Need some help?"

"I don't need help!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Then, the horse bucked and sent me flying into a fence. Velvet (and honestly the horses) burst out laughing, the girl dismounting and walking over. I looked up as Velvet kneeled and offered a hand, smiling.

"Come on." She ordered. "If you need help, just ask." I ignored her hand and stood. As I walked away, Velvet placed her hands on her hips. "Why are you acting like this? I'm just trying to be nice. We're supposed to be partners!"

"I'm not partnering up with a Faunus _freak_!" I snapped. "This is a job I was forced into. Nothing more."

Instead of gasping in dismay and crying or becoming visibly hurt like usual, Velvet crossed her arms.

"Well, alright." The girl shrugged. "That's how it's gonna be, even after all that's happened? Good to know." She walked over to her horse, not looking back. "You know, I don't have to help you, but maybe you could see me do something, then copy it and claim you knew what you were doing all along." Velvet looked back with a small smirk. "Coming, Cardin?"

I rolled my eyes and walked over to the black horse (who also seemed to be smirking).

I looked over as Velvet placed her foot in a stirrup, pushing herself up and ending up on the saddle in one fluid motion.

I mimicked the action, also ending up sitting on my saddle.

"Okay..." I was getting a bit nervous. The Faunus girl looked back as I grabbed the reigns.

"Like this!" She held her hands out so I could see. Seeing self-preservation over appearances, I obeyed and copied the hand positions.

"Uh... Giddy-up!" I whipped the reigns, and my horse snorted. Velvet let out a small laugh.

"That's a good way to get yourself killed." The bunny-Faunus warned. "Squeeze your legs together and say _walk_!" I took a deep breath.

"Walk." I tried. My horse immediately obeyed, much to my surprise. Velvet started her horse and ended up riding next to me.

"Now, to go faster, do the same thing: except say _trot_. If he doesn't obey, squeeze harder. If that doesn't work, give a little kick. Not enough to hurt, just enough to show him who's boss. Think you got it?"

"I know what I'm doing!"

"Of course you do."

 ** _/\/\/\/\_**

We got on the road, riding in silence through the Forest of Forever Fall (which only brought up bad memories).

Though I tried to ignore her, I noticed Velvet looking around in awe.

Sure, she'd seen this place a million times, but...

"How long were you in hiding?" I finally asked. The girl looked over.

"Well, my family was always in hiding. But alone..? Four years."

"I thought you had the powers for five years."

"Yes, but I hid by myself for a few months. I didn't know who to trust."

"Oh... So, what exactly does a Spring Maiden do?"

"Well, Maidens grow most powerful during their season, and they're tasked with helping others all around the world. It's a huge responsibility."

"And you can't do anything about it? Even if you didn't want the power, you got stuck with it?"

"Yes... I'm the Spring Maiden until the day I die."

"Harsh."

"Yeah."

"And you can be killed?"

"Yep... After all, Cinder Fall managed to kill Amber."

" _Amber_?"

"The Fall Maiden."

"Oh."

"So... I heard there was a girl in your class killed in the attack."

"There was?"

"You didn't know?"

"It's been a bit crazy, and all the adults are real cryptic..." I paused. "Who?" Velvet sighed.

"She was supposed to be the next Fall Maiden. I would have trained her to control the power... Pyrrha Nikos."

At that name, it all grew cold and silent, my eyes widening.

Pyrrha Nikos, the humble Invincible Girl, the four-time Mistral Champion, a true Huntress: was dead.

"We don't stand a chance." I stated. Velvet looked over. "If they got Nikos, we're all dead."

"No." Velvet shook her head. "We'll win, and survive."

"It's impossible."

"No... Just a bit unlikely." The Faunus smiled. "Hey, think about it. I'm a fully-trained Maiden and you're the most stubborn boy I've ever met. We're up against an inexperienced Maiden and her minions. In my opinion..." Velvet smirked deviously. "We're coming out on top: for all of those who died at Beacon, and for those we need to protect."

"You're protecting someone?"

"We're all protecting someone... It's complicated."

"Okay..."

 ** _/\/\/\/\_**

That night, we sat in a cave on opposite sides of a fire.

We'd found a cave with a mouth large enough to allow us and the horses in, but small enough that no Grimm could enter. The cave was also deep enough that we'd be safe from a Beowolf's claws.

Velvet passed me some food from the saddle-bags, eating an apple herself. I noticed.

"You don't eat much."

"I never did."

"So... Why are you acting weird?"

" _Weird_?"

"You-"

"I'm standing up for myself? Back-talking?"

"Well... Yeah."

"Cardin, I could have easily beaten you up whenever you picked on me. The Fall and Spring Maidens are the most powerful, as they are the bridges between the most primal seasons... But, I took the high-road for the sake of both our reputations and safety."

"Then, why are you-?"

"Now, I don't have to worry about anyone else seeing." Velvet winked, smiling deviously. Oh God, I was going to get murdered by a freak...

"I'd like to see you try." I scoffed, acting brave. Velvet pat the mysterious box at her side.

"You'll eat those words."

 ** _Ha! Cardin's going to get owned... Anyway, I used my own experience with horseback riding for that one scene. It's how I was taught, so please don't hate if you were taught a different way. I own nothing. Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks!_**


	3. Apprehension (Velvet)

I was going to kill Ozpin.

Really, I was.

I know that doesn't sound like me, but for Oum's sake! He paired me with the boy who has done nothing but torment me since he stepped into Beacon!

Cardin Winchester was my shadow!

Why?! Was this some kind of sick joke?! Of all the people at Beacon, on Remnant, why Cardin?!

There had to have been someone else, another option. Why not Coco? Or Fox? Or Yatsuhashi? Or maybe a girl from RWBY? Or Jaune, he was always nice to me! Ren and Nora could have served as two shadows...

ANYONE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN CARDIN WINCHESTER! I would have even taken one of his teammates over him!

What was I going to do?

...

As we rode down a path on our horses, it was completely silent. Cardin and I didn't speak a word to each other, so I gazed around at the fresh snowfall.

At least one of my fellow Maidens was doing well. Lucky.

Finally, I decided to speak.

"So, where are we going?" I asked. Cardin raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? I'm the Shadow. I'm supposed to follow you."

"Oh, right... Where do you think we should go? We have a whole season before I have to do anything special."

"Hmph... No idea, _Cottontail_."

"Hey!"

"Honestly, did you really think that I'd lighten up because Ozpin stuck me with you?"

"I thought you'd make an effort to make this less painful than it is!"

" _Painful_?"

"In case you can't tell, I'm not exactly thrilled by this, either."

"I mean, what was Ozpin thinking?!"

"I know, right?! _Hey, let's partner up the two people in this school who dislike each other the most and send them alone on a never-ending roadtrip with no choice but to work together!_ "

" _They definitely won't kill each other!_ "

" _Threaten each other constantly!_ "

" _Look for every opportunity to embarrass each other!_ "

" _It'll be great!_ "

We both started laughing.

Laughing at the situation.

Laughing at the irony.

Laughing at each other...

We both seemed to stop and calm down at the same time.

"Let's keep going." Cardin suggested. I nodded, gazing forward at the road once more.

I couldn't do this to myself.

I couldn't start associating with such a bully. With my tormentor.

He was a racist.

He was mean.

He was cruel.

He would always treat me like an animal, a push-over, a doormat, a monster.

It's like my father said, long ago...

 ** _"Bullies never change."_**

For the longest time, I didn't believe him. Even after he was dead, I refused to believe my father's words.

Then, I met Cardin Winchester.

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

The next day, as we continued onward, I sensed something wrong.

We were being watched.

"Cardin." I whispered. "Cardin!" My Shadow looked back, and I gestured with my eyes to the left, my ears flicking slightly as I heard the snapping of twigs.

Cardin's eyes widened slightly, then he grew serious and gave a small nod.

We both leapt off our horses just as a pack of Beowolves leapt out of the trees. Our horses ran off, the Grimm not interested in them.

Cardin drew his mace as I placed my hand on my box, ready.

"Hope you've got something big up your sleeve, Cottontail." Cardin stated as we stood back-to-back. "There's at least twenty, including the Alpha."

"No problem." I gave a small smirk. "You forget. I'm on Team CFVY."

"Oh, please. I've never seen you do anything more than kick things, Spring Maiden! Your leader has that huge gun/briefcase thing, Fox has those claws that make things explode, your partner has that HUGE sword and that crazy strength! What is it exactly that you do, again?!"

I raised my hands and created a copy of Coco's gatling-gun, giving a devious grin.

"This!" I raised the gun and opened fire, killing ten Beowolves almost instantly. Cardin shook out of his shocked stare and started his attack on the remaining ten.

I summoned a copy of Ren's StormFlower and provided cover-fire, and soon it was just the Alpha left.

"Let me handle this." Cardin suggested. I nodded and willed my box to shut off, and Cardin charged the Alpha Beowolf.

Cardin dodged a swinging paw and slammed his mace into the thing's stomach, sending it flying into a tree. The beast got up and snarled, charging the boy. Cardin slammed his mace into the ground, creating a crack that glowed with Fire-Dust that unbalanced and burned the beast. One final swing to the Alpha's head ended the fight.

"Well..." I placed a hand on my hip, smiling deviously as Cardin walked over. "One thing's for certain... We are both HUGE show-offs."

"Yeah. Guess we've got that going for us, _Cottontail_."

"Will you stop calling me that?!"

"Nope. You're stuck with it."

"Hmph." I crossed my arms, glaring. Then, I whistled for the horses.

 ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_** ** _/\_**

As we continued on, I couldn't help but think...

While the nickname was a bit stereotypical, it wasn't exactly given in cruelty.

"Hey, Velvet?" Cardin asked. I jolted slightly.

He called me by my name?

"Yeah?" I asked. Cardin sighed, shaking his head.

"How did you do that? With those weird hologram-things?"

"Oh. My weapon allows me to take pictures of and copy weapons. It helps out with my semblance, which lets me copy abilities and skills."

Did Cardin look scared?

"So... You're literally everyone at Beacon in one person?"

"Weapon and skill-wise? I suppose."

"Okay, I'll admit... That's pretty cool, _Cottontail_."

"Thanks... I guess..."

 ** _HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The awkwardness! Cardin seeing exactly what he was up against! This is going to be interesting, very interesting... I own nothing! Please read, review, check out my other stories, etc. Thanks!_**


End file.
